Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 21

Today in World War II History—March 27, 1940 & 1945

Michael Savage, 1930s (Archives New Zealand: R23559644)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 27, 1940: New Zealand Prime Minister Michael Savage dies of cancer; he will be replaced by Peter Fraser on April 4.

Sixteen hundred Jewish refugees arrive in Palestine, but are interned by the British for illegal entry.

Troops of US Americal Division landing on Talisay beach, Cebu, 26 March 1945; Alligator LVTs in the background. (US Army Signal Corps: SC 204236)

80 Years Ago—Mar. 27, 1945: Last German V-2 rockets land in Britain—in London (134 killed) and in Kent, where Ivy Millichamp becomes the last of 67,100 British civilians killed during the war.

US Eighth Army takes Cebu City, the second-largest city in the Philippines.

Japanese-trained Burma National Army under Aung San revolts and joins the Allies.

Ella Fitzgerald records “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”

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Today in World War II History—March 26, 1940 & 1945

Dodge ambulances standing by C-46 Commando aircraft at Clark Field, Manila, Philippine Islands, 29 Sep 1945 (public domain via WW2 Database)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 26, 1940: In Canadian elections, Mackenzie King retains position as prime minister.

First flight of Curtiss C-46 Commando cargo plane in St. Louis, MO.

US commercial airlines complete a year of flying without a fatal accident or a serious injury.

Men of the US 77th Division landing from LVTs onto Zanami Island of the Kerama Islands near Okinawa, Japan, 27 Mar 1945. (US Army photo)

80 Years Ago—Mar. 26, 1945: The Battle of Iwo Jima officially ends: in the campaign, 5,400 US and 20,000 Japanese troops were killed—and only 216 Japanese POWs taken; Adm. Chester Nimitz will say, “Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

US Eighth Army lands on Cebu in the Philippines.

US Tenth Army lands on Kerama Islands 15 miles west of Okinawa to build an artillery base; seizes 350 suicide torpedo boats.

David Lloyd George, British prime minister during WWI, dies at age 83.

Flag raising at US Headquarters on Iwo Jima after US Navy military government is established, 14 Mar 1945 (US Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 104584)

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Today in World War II History—March 25, 1940 & 1945

B-24J Liberators of the 15th Air Force return from mission to Mühldorf, Germany to their base in Italy, Mar 19 1945, flying over island of Drvenik Veliki, Yugoslavia (US National Archives)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 25, 1940: The neutral US allows sale of military aircraft to the Allies.

Britain doubles butter ration to eight ounces per week.

80 Years Ago—Mar. 25, 1945: US Seventh Army crosses the Rhine at Worms, Germany.

US Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy flies its last strategic bombing mission of the war.

German SS troops behind US lines assassinate Allied-backed mayor of Aachen, Germany.

Off Okinawa as kamikaze attacks increase, the crew of battleship USS Texas mans battle stations, where they will stay for 50 days straight, the longest any ship has been at general quarters; every three days, the men are relieved long enough to shower and change clothes.

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Today in World War II History—March 24, 1940 & 1945

C-47 transports releasing hundreds of paratroopers and their supplies over the Rees-Wesel region, Germany during Operation Varsity, 24 Mar 1945 (Imperial War Museum: 4700-06 EA 59364A)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 24, 1940: Sunspots temporarily disrupt shortwave radios, telephones, and telegraphs in the Western Hemisphere.

80 Years Ago—Mar. 24, 1945: In Operation Varsity, 17,000 British 6th Airborne Division & US 17th Airborne Division paratroopers drop east of the Rhine and link with British & US land forces.

US Ninth Army crosses the Rhine.

US Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy sends 660 B-17 and B-24 bombers to Berlin for the first time, as a diversion for the Rhine crossings. The escorting 332nd Fighter Group (African-American Tuskegee Airmen) shoots down 3 German Me 262 jets and earns the Distinguished Unit Citation.

Premiere of Tweety Bird cartoon Life with Feathers, featuring debut of Sylvester (unnamed in the cartoon).

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Today in World War II History—March 23, 1940 & 1945

Men of the British 1st Cheshire Regiment crossing the Rhine River with Buffalo tracked landing vehicles at Wesel, Germany, 24 Mar 1945. (Imperial War Museum: 4700-30 BU 2336)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 23, 1940: Germany requires car owners to donate batteries and requires church bells to be melted down.

Radio premiere of Truth or Consequences on CBS.

80 Years Ago—Mar. 23, 1945: British Second Army crosses the Rhine River at Wesel, Germany.

Soviets reach the Gulf of Danzig between Danzig and Gdynia.

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Today in World War II History—March 22, 1940 & 1945

US troops crossing the Rhine under fire at Sankt Goar, Germany, late Mar 1945 (US National Archives: 208-YE-132)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 22, 1940: British Royal Navy increases patrols off Norway as tensions rise between Britain, Norway, and Germany.

80 Years Ago—Mar. 22, 1945: US Third Army under Gen. George Patton crosses the Rhine River at Nierstein and Oppenheim at night, surprising the Germans.

US Eighth Army secures Panay in the Philippines.

The Arab League is formed in Cairo, Egypt, consisting of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Transjordan.

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Today in World War II History—March 21, 1940 & 1945

Ohka at Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, CA, November 2014 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 21, 1940: Édouard Daladier resigns as Prime Minister of France after vote of no confidence from Parliament, replaced by Paul Reynaud.

First German merchant ship is sunk by a British submarine: HMS Ursula sinks German freighter Heddernheim north of Denmark.

80 Years Ago—Mar. 21, 1945: RAF Mosquitos & Mustangs hit Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, allowing over two dozen Danish freedom fighters to escape, destroying German records, and killing 55 Germans, 47 Danish employees, and 8 Danish prisoners; during the raid, a Mosquito crashes into a school, killing 86 children and 17 teachers.

Japanese use rocket-powered Ohka kamikaze plane for the first time, but cause little damage to US Fifth Fleet.

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Today in World War II History—March 20, 1940 & 1945

WWII Poster

85 Years Ago—Mar. 20, 1940: USSR sends NKVD killing squads to Ukraine & Byelorussia to arrest, execute, and deport partisans.

Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten addressing men of British Royal Armoured Corps, Mandalay, Burma, 21 Mar 1945 (Imperial War Museum: SE 3484)

80 Years Ago—Mar. 20, 1945: On Luzon, a Filipino force takes San Fernando, led by US Col. Russell Volckmann, who had refused to surrender to the Japanese in 1942.

British & Indian troops take Mandalay, Burma.

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Today in World War II History—March 19, 1940 & 1945

Damaged carrier USS Franklin off Japan, 19 Mar 1945; photograph taken from cruiser USS Santa Fe (US National Archives: 80-G-273880)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 19, 1940: The Royal Air Force bombs Hörnum seaplane base on Sylt Island, the first bombs deliberately dropped on German soil during the war.

80 Years Ago—March 19, 1945: Hitler issues “Nero Decree” for scorched-earth retreat—Germans are to destroy factories, railroads, and bridges, but the decree is largely ignored.

Off Honshu, Japan, kamikazes damage carrier USS Franklin, killing 894.

As the Soviets advance, the German Navy begins to evacuate 25,000 wounded & refugees from the Frisches Haff to Pillau, through March 25.

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Today in World War II History—March 18, 1940 & 1945

Bombe at Bletchley Park, England, 1945 (United Kingdom government photo)

85 Years Ago—Mar. 18, 1940: Alan Turing’s Bombe electromechanical decipher machine becomes operational at Bletchley Park, England, to decipher German Enigma messages.

Hitler and Mussolini meet at Brenner Pass, and Mussolini agrees to join the war against Britain and France.

Strike photo taken by aircraft from USS Bunker Hill showing an SB2C Helldiver of Squadron VB-84 over Miyazaki Airfield on southern Kyushu, Japan, 18 Mar 1945 (National Museum of Naval Aviation)

80 Years Ago—Mar. 18, 1945: US Navy Task Force 58 carrier aircraft strike 45 airfields in Japan in preparation for the Okinawa landings, destroying about 275 aircraft.

US Eighth Army lands on Panay in the Philippines.

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